First Trimester Update

Did you hear the news? We brought a little someone back from Nazareth and we are absolutely thrilled about it!

At “Mary’s Well” in Nazareth, an ancient water well and possible location of the Annunciation.

We knew we wanted another baby and a sibling for Chayton. So as soon as Chayton had his first birthday, baby fever was on! But with our trip coming up, we also knew that it would be wise to wait so that I wasn’t struggling with morning sickness during our entire trip.

Since we were planning to be overseas in Ireland and Israel for a total of three weeks, we knew that there was a good chance my ovulation day would take place while we were away.

So now we are 14 weeks along and so happy to be starting the second trimester because the last few months have been rough. I’m definitely finding this pregnancy more difficult than the last one. Lots of nausea and exhaustion, and I feel incredibly guilty for using Netflix as a babysitter for Chayton far too regularly, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to survive!

This is one of the big reasons why we chose to announce “early”. We wanted and needed the support of others and I was feeling too sick to make up more excuses as to why I wasn’t leaving the couch on most days.

Finally, we believe that life is precious and every day is worth celebrating. Especially in these fragile early days we have no guarantee in tomorrow and as many of our dear friends have walked through pregnancy loss in the recent years, we want to make sure every life, no matter how small, is acknowledged.

Our Beloved Nazareth

As we celebrate the upcoming arrival, there really is something special about the fact that this child was conceived in Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus. It is significant not only because of our faith but because Chris has long loved this little Arab town and since the early days of our friendship he has shared his desire to bring me back to the place that means so much to him.

Not only is the history of this incredible town so special, but the friendships we have formed with our Nazarene friends are so dear to us. This is what brought us to Israel in the first place, as we travelled across the globe to celebrate the wedding of one of Chris’ very dear friends.

This baby was conceived in the early days of our Israel trip and I knew right away that something was “different” within me.

One of the most meaningful moments on our trip was when we walked the streets of Nazareth on one of the first days. Visiting these historical places and some of the very streets that Jesus’ own feet walked upon is a really incredible experience. I was emotional and moved to tears when we visited the Church of the Annunciation, and the ruins of what some believe was Mary’s family home.

Chris wasn’t aware when we snapped this photo, but I already knew that there was a little life beginning to grow; a mother always feels the connection to her children!

A day after conception, standing in front of “Mary’s House”.

To be in a place where Mary lived and possibly the very location where the angel came to tell her that she would become pregnant with the Son of God, was very moving. Maybe it was the hormones but my heart was very tender to the opening of this new chapter in our lives and the precious life beginning to form.

Of course, we don’t know for sure where the exact location of Mary’s conception was, as it is not written down anywhere. But the old town of Nazareth is very small and walking throughout and knowing that these miraculous events happened so near is a really spectacular experience.

“This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine.”

So while we miss Nazareth, we are thankful for such a special conception story and eagerly anticipating the arrival of this special second baby in six more months. We know that God has big plans for this little one, as He does with all of us. And we are grateful that we were chosen to be this little one’s parents and join in this wonderful life together as a family.

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Comments

You stole my heart!!! This is such a beautiful story. I pray that your pregnancy goes well. Praying you find energy and time to rest. I understand the Netflix babysitter. It is so hard to handle little ones when you are pregnant and tired. Thank you for sharing this journey. Blessings.

Tara Teng is an ethical fashion blogger, Miss World Canada 2012, a TEDx speaker, and the CEO of Justly Market. She is a big believer in impacting the world for the better and chooses to invest her time in working to improve gender ... VIEW POST

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